The use of Unmanned Aerial vehicles (“UAVs”) and Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (“SUASs”) has grown in recent years and such UAVs and SUASs are employed in a wide variety of applications, including both military and civilian uses. In some applications, a UAV or SUAS may be required to maneuver quickly, or in tight spaces, over a wide range of speeds. Accordingly, several efforts have been made to improve UAV and SUAS performance to yield a fully autonomous UAV system.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,960,750, to Doane, discusses an optical system and method for positioning a first object with respect to a second object, such as a refueling aircraft and an unmanned air vehicle, including a pattern of reflectors, an optical receiver, an optical transmitter, and a processor. U.S. Pat. No. 7,318,564, to Marshall, discusses a surveillance aircraft recharging system based on energy collection by magnetic induction from the current flowing in a randomly selected alternating current transmission line conductor. U.S. Pat. No. 7,714,536, to Silberg, discusses a method and apparatus for charging energy supplies in a UAV. U.S. Pat. No. 8,167,234, to Moore, discusses a micro air vehicle (MAV) that comprises features that emulate insect-like topology and flight, including a dangling three-part body (100a, 100b, 100c); wing-like, dual side rotors (107, 107a) positioned to either side on rotor arms (103) providing tilt and teeter motions to vector thrust and allowing crawling along improved surfaces; and elevators (101) that approximate the center of gravity and center of pressure control employed by insects via the inertial reaction and aerodynamic influence of a repositionable abdomen. U.S. Pat. No. 8,172,177, to Lovell, discusses a stabilized UAV recovery system. United States Patent Publication No. 2003/0222173, to McGeer, discusses a method and an apparatus for capturing a flying object.
While a number of UAVs and UAV systems are disclosed through the above references, existing UAVs and UAV systems are deficient in at least two respects. First, existing UAVs are not entirely self-sufficient and require routine upkeep, such as charging and/or refueling. Second, existing UAVs are generally concerned only with the cable capture (e.g., landing), but do not consider both the autonomous capture and release of the vehicle. Accordingly, the present application provides systems and methods for providing a self-charging UAV and UAV system capable of autonomous capture and release.